Memories of the Past, Haunting the Future
by regnum
Summary: There's someone Kenshin needs to protect, because his enemy wants revenge. But can Kenshin shed his memories of the past and look to the future? [Smabbi-san]
1. Memories of the Past, Haunting the Futur...

# Memories of the Past, Haunting the Future

** **

Disclaimer: The usual legal mumbo – jumbo. I do not own Ruroni Kenshin. All RK characters are the creation ofNobuhiro Watsuki etc. However, any made up characters are mine. 

A/N: What? A new fic? What happened to Just One Wish? Don't worry (be happy) I will finish Just One Wish, I just had the idea for this fic and I had to write it. I also noticed the small number of RK fics and decided to do my part in raising the population. ^.^() Have fun and review it please!!

# Chapter One

"Iie…Kaoru…aishiteru…" Kenshin whispered, his voice breaking.

"Kenshin…anata…aishiteru." Kaoru's grip on his hand tightened imperceptibly. "Take care of her please… aishiteru…" Her voice faded away, her once bright eyes closed slowly and her grip on his hand went limp. 

"Kaoru?" Kenshin's eyes widened with shock and fear. "Kaoru!!" His cry echoed a broken heart. He thought of Tomoe. _'No…not again. Not again!' _He cradled his wife's body in his arms sobbing. 

"No. Kaoru…" 

******

"Tousan?" Kenshin's violet eyes focused on the little girl in front of him. 

"Hai Ayumi-chan?" He smiled, putting aside his thoughts of the past for now.

The little girl scrambled into her father's lap. Her dark hair, so like her mother's swung around her face. She looked very much like her mother had at that age. Excepting her eyes. She had Kenshin's violet eyes. 

"Yahiko-san won't teach me." The little girl pouted. Her protruding lower lip trembled as she turned large, pleading eyes on her father. 

"Ayumi-chan we've been over this." Kenshin said with a slight sigh. He hated having to say no to his daughter. "You're only six years old and -"

"I can learn to fight too!" She cried, sparks flying from her vibrant eyes. 

Kenshin had to smile at that. She was like her mother in many ways. Both of them were fiercely determined, some might call it stubborn, about many things. Impulsive at times too. The red headed warrior thought about the time Kaoru had followed him all the way to Kyoto, just to make sure he was okay. That he would be okay. 

"You can teach me!" Ayumi cried triumphantly. 

"Oro?!" Kenshin's eyes bugged out of his head in surprise. 

Ayumi giggled at her daddy's reaction before nodding. She pointed to the sword at his side. The same sword he had fought Shishio Makato with. She smiled sweetly. 

"Sanosuke-san told me you were the best slasher ever! He told me about how you fought all those people and how you almost died when you fought Shishio and how he broke his hand while fighting. And the time Yahiko-san fought that flying bird man and kasan-" 

Kenshin held up a hand in an effort to either slow her down or halt the steady stream of words. 

"Sano told you all that huh?" Kenshin asked, his voice as calm as ever. Inside he wasn't sure if he liked his daughter knowing about all that. But it was too late now. _'The past catches up with us after all.'_

_ _

"Tousan, what's a slasher?" Ayumi asked innocently. 

Kenshin sweatdropped. "Ahh…" His mind raced, trying to think of a definition for slasher that was suitable for a six year old's tender sensitivities. "Um…well…heh…a slasher…a slasher works for the…ah…government! I…um…worked for the government." Kenshin finished, hoping she wouldn't ask exactly what he did in the government. He wasn't exactly proud of his past.

"Oh." 

Kenshin sighed with relief. His bloody past was not something he wanted to share with his daughter just yet. _'Maybe when she's a little older…'_

"Tousan? Will you please, please, please teach me how to use a sword?" She looked up at him pleadingly. "Pretty please?" 

He smiled, his one weakness. He was sure he'd never be able to say no to the little girl in front of him. **His** little girl. He knew he spoilt her sometimes. Kaoru wasn't around to reprimand him for spoiling her. 

## 'Kaoru…'

He winced a little remembering her hitting him on the head with her shinai and yelling at him when ever he did something wrong.

## "BAKA!"

_ _

_The shinai whacked him squarely on the head, resulting in a lump the size of a fist._

_ _

_"Oro!" Kenshin yelped, swirly eyed. _

He gave Ayumi a hug. She was his angel. It was Ayumi who had saved him from despair. When Kaoru died he had wanted to leave the dojo, leave the memories behind. To become the ruroni again, the wanderer. That was his way out. Sano, Megumi, Yahiko, even Tae had tried to reason with him. He hadn't listened. Only his daughter had made him stay. The one person who had really needed him. Ayumi. His angel. Kaoru's gift. 

"Alright. Let's go find Yahiko. He can help teach you too. We'll need to find a shinai that suits you." 

"But tousan, I wanted to use a sword!" The little girl protested. 

"Ayumi…" There was a hint of a warning in his voice. She knew when she had taken it too far. With a smile, the girl slipped her hand in his.

Hand in hand the child and the warrior made their way towards the dojo. Smiling, for the future was bright and peace was at hand. 

******

"Are you sure this is the right place?" 

"Hai." The boy nodded his head in the darkness, forgetting that he couldn't be seen. "This is where Himura Kenshin, also known as the Hikoteri Battousai, lives." 

"Very well." The shadowed figure did not move his body, allowing his eyes to take in his surroundings. "Leave boy."

"But you said - " The boy began to protest. The thought of money promised had made him bold. 

"Leave!" The man growled threateningly. 

The boy fled.

"Now Battousai…" The man drew out the syllables, "Your day has finally come." He chuckled evilly. 

******

Kenshin watched his daughter, now fast asleep on the futons. He smiled, the lesson had really worn her out. He reached down and tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

"She looks like Jou-chan doesn't she?" 

Kenshin jumped slightly, startled. Then he laughed softly, turning to face his friend.

"Hai." He admitted. "She does."

"You miss her." The taller man smiled a little sadly at his red headed friend, all traces of cockiness gone. 

Kenshin's expression was thoughtful. "Hai."

******

Well what do you think? The truth okay? Review it please!! I'm sorry for the Japanese spelling. I'm not Japanese so I'm not all too sure on the spelling part okay? If anyone wants to help me out with that…email me! Arigato for reading!

© 2000 

Smabbi - san


	2. Memories of the Past, Haunting the Futur...

# Memories of the Past, Haunting the Future

** **

Disclaimer: Hmm…where do I start? Oh yeah…I own RK. All you people that have written RK fan fics on this site beware! I'm gonna sue you for all you've got!! Muahahahaha! Now that I've had my little moment in the dream world…I don't own RK. I'm not gonna sue you. Please don't sue me!! You won't get a thing! I'm so poor!!

A/N: Thank you to the people that reviewed. (The few of you.) C'mon…I wanna know if it's actually any good!! Review it please!! Arigato!

******

_"Kenshin, when you come back we'll all go back to Tokyo together." Kaoru smiled. _

_ _

_He couldn't help but feel proud of her. He, Sano and Saitoh were going to a battle for Japan. A battle in which none of them would come back alive. But she had faith in all of them, in all their abilities however different. She was confident that he would return. That they would all return. That there would finally be peace._

_ _

_He smiled back at her. "I'd like that."_

_ _

"Kenshin? Earth to Kenshin…" Sano looked at his friend worriedly. He had hoped that these 'vacant spells' were long past. Ever since Kaoru's death, it was like Kenshin needed a minder, someone who could keep him in the land of the living, a place where he would no longer dwell on the past. Sano wondered if that was why Yahiko had never really pursued a relationship with Tsubame. '_Worry for Kenshin…'_

_ _

He slammed his cup of sake down on the table and began shaking the red headed man. 

"Oro!!" Kenshin flailed wildly, falling over. 

"Kenshin!!" Sano yelled, "Snap out of it!!"

Kenshin looked at his friend in confusion. "Oro?" 

Sano sighed, "You were of in la-la land again…you've got to snap out of it Kenshin! It's not healthy and-"

"Can you two keep it down?" An irritable Yahiko peered in the doorway, scowling. From his hair, it was obvious that he had been awakened by Sano's yells. "Honestly, as soon as I fall asleep all I hear is Sano yelling. Blah, blah, blah…take it outside!" He yelled not caring that he was now making more noise than Sano. "Or I'll - "

"Or you'll what Yahiko-**chan**?" Sano jeered mockingly, further incensing the young man. He cracked his knuckles threateningly. "I'll take you down!" 

Yahiko narrowed his eyes in fury, launching himself at Sano. "Oh yeah!?" He yelled loudly. He aimed a punch at the streetfighter, who quickly caught it.

"Yeah." Sano said matter-of-factly, flashing a cocky grin before sending the younger man flying in to the far wall. Yahiko picked himself up, scowling in disgust and preparing to attack again. Pretty soon the two of them were going at it tooth and nail. The occasional insult was hurled between the flurry of punches and kicks. 

Kenshin sweatdropped. _'Some things will never change.'_

"Tousan?" In the doorway stood a sleepy Ayumi. She rubbed her eyes, yawning. "It is time to get up yet?" She asked confused. Her eyes grew wider when she noticed the scene behind her father. Yahiko had managed to get on top of Sano's head and had a firm grip on his leg. He was pulling, hard. Sano was alternating between yelling curses and threats as he tried to squirm out of the younger man's grip. 

"Hah! Take that Sano! I can take you down anytime!!" Yahiko cheered victoriously. 

Sano weaselled out of Yahiko's grip. "You think so Yahiko-**chan**? I haven't even gotten started yet!!" He yelled, preparing to attack.

"Iye." Kenshin answered his daughter quietly, barely audible above the noise his two friends were making. He led Ayumi back into her room to put her to bed.

******

The man waited. He had set up a camp in the shadows of the trees surrounding the Kamiya Dojo. Patience was all that was left. He would observe the dojo, and then he would strike. By then he would know Battousai's weakness, how to hurt him the most. 

He unsheathed his sword, allowing moonlight to glint off the blade. _'Soon Battousai…soon'_

******

"Tousan? I can't sleep." 

Kenshin looked at his daughter with amusement. "You just got into bed Ayumi-chan." He smiled affectionately down at her.

The little girl sat up, pushing the blanket into disarray. She propped her chin on her hand. "Tell me a story tousan, please?" 

Kenshin sat down beside her; gently he tucked her under the covers again. "Okay…but only if you promise to go to sleep straight after." Ayumi nodded sleepily, happy that her father had complied. "What kind of story do you want?"

Ayumi snuggled under the covers, closing her eyes. "Tell me about kasan please." She murmured sleepily. 

Kenshin closed his eyes for a moment, caught up in thoughts of Kaoru. _'So many memories, so many stories…which one can I, should I tell?'_

"Well…" He began at length. "I'll tell you about the time when I was kidnapped by pirates and how Kaoru, your kasan, Sano and Yahiko came to 'save' me."

******

I know it's been awhile. I was meaning to get more of 'Just One Wish' up too. @ . @ I've been busy with school (now that it's started) and the horrendous amount of artwork I need to do. Bear with me okay? Review it please!! ^.^ Arigato!!

© 2000

Smabbi – san 


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